Dandelions
by ArmedWithAPen
Summary: Holly teaches Artemis of the workings of the universe through dandelions. Artemis/Holly. One-shot.


_A/N: This was written when I was considerably younger, and I'm sure it shows, but I thought this was simply too charming to be left dusty in my hard drive. Enjoy!  
_

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the characters below. Alas, alas...

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It really was a beautiful day to be outside. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, the breeze was blowing. And the grass was never as green as it was in Ireland.

Holly sighed, stretching out on her back. How had the People ever left the surface?

She fiddled with the hem of her greet tank top pensively. She hated the thought that, after only a few more days, she would have to go back under the earth. The thought was suffocating.

A small trickle of liquid being poured into ceramic reached her ears.

"Tea, Holly?"

Holly turned her head to look at her best friend. She smiled. "No, thank you, Artemis."

Holly's smile made the genius' ears turn red and he quickly busied himself with the cup. "Quite alright."

Holly sat up again, staring up straight at the blue sky as though she could see into the space up overhead. Artemis made the mistake of looking up from stirring his drink and was caught. Holly's tan skin glowed in the sunlight. The rays refracted through her hazel eyes, making them burn gold. Her short auburn hair curled around her ears. She was letting it grow out. It became her very well.

She felt the weight of the boy's stare on her and she turned, looking. "What?"

He blushed with embarrassment, and turned back to the picnic basket, retrieving some sushi. "It suits you."

"What does?" the elf asked, propping herself on one arm and looking at him.

He gestured out into the air with a sweeping arm. "Being out here. In the open. You never seemed…happy underground."

Holly sighed again, staring at the green grass around them and flexing her bare feet. "Yeah."

Artemis sipped his tea. Holly's ultra-sensitive hearing picked up the noise of the swallow sliding down his throat, past his beating heart. A heart that, she was secretly elated to say, always seemed to beat faster around her. The thought made her grin.

Returning to earth, she plucked an apple from the picnic basket and bit into it, glancing around her.

Fowl Manor was spectacular in the summer. The Irish countryside was the most beautiful place in the whole world, as far as she was concerned. The gentle rolling hills, the wavering green grass, the wild flowers…

A plant blowing back and forth in the breeze right next to her hand caught her eye.

She took another bite of apple, rolled over, and plucked the plant from the ground.

"Look what I found," she grinned, rolling the plant's stem between her thumb and forefinger.

Artemis did look up, setting down his chopsticks and examining her find. "It's a dandelion." He turned back to his tea. "They're everywhere around here."

"But not this one," the fairy smiled, gazing at the little plant like it was the most beautiful thing in the world. "This one is unique."

Artemis snorted, picking up another piece of his sushi. "Very well, then, I shall play your game." He polished off his sushi, crossed his legs, and stared into the elf's face. "What makes this dandelion different than all the others exactly like it?"

Holly noticed that he was mocking her. She stopped rolling the plant, and leaned her face down so that her eyes were even with his.

"This dandelion," she began. Her breath like sweet pine rolled over his face, stunning him. He blinked twice, trying to regain focus as she continued speaking. "This dandelion is different from all the other dandelions because as a seed, it chose this spot to land. As a seed it made the choice to take root and grow into a plant. As a plant it chose not to be eaten by all the critters that roam this place and grow a flower. As a flower it chose to let a honeybee take some of its pollen and make some more dandelions. And finally, as it is a dying flower, it chose to let itself be picked by me and be the aid to teaching a Mud Boy of the wondrous workings of the universe."

Artemis listened with a little smile quirking his features. At the exact moment when he wasn't expecting it, Holly could take something as simple as a dandelion and sound so wise he was floored.

Holly brought up the dandelion now between their faces so that Artemis could see it reflected in her eyes. "That is what makes this dandelion so unique."

He smiled, leaning back onto his arms as the elf did too. "I stand corrected. That dandelion is a very unique dandelion indeed."

"But that's not all," Holly grinned, lowering the dandelion so that it faced the sun and cast a shadow on her face. "Dandelions have always been sacred to the People. They have the power to grant wishes."

Artemis sighed. She was always telling stories to Beckett and Myles. It must have rubbed off on him too. "Humans say that all the time. It's logically impossible for a plant to grant a wish."

Holly fixed him with a penetrating stare. "Have you ever tried it?"

He rolled his blue eyes, putting away his chopsticks and plate. "No."

"Then how do you know it doesn't work?"

Artemis displayed his patented 'Are you serious?' look.

Holly grinned mysteriously, then turned back to the plant she held clutched in her fingers. She closed her big hazel eyes, breathed in deeply and was still for close to a minute. Finally, she blew out the air held in her chest in a slow breeze, blowing about half the seeds off the dandelion.

Artemis rolled his eyes again when she opened hers. "Well? The mystical forces grant your wish yet?"

Holly sighed. "For being so smart, Artemis, you can sure be stupid sometimes."

He shrugged his shoulders, reaching for his tea.

Suddenly, he found the remainder of the dandelion positioned right in front of him.

He looked up. Holly's expectant eyes stared back at him.

"No." He frowned, pushing her hand away.

Holly lowered her eyes and jutted her bottom lip out. Her cheeks flushed red a little bit and her mahogany hair slightly covered the left side of her face. She looked…really, really pretty. Artemis gulped. The fairy bit back a grin as his heart increased its tempo.

"Stop it, Holly," he said, annoyed. She had always had some power over him. He could feel himself weakening already.

She pouted some more, continuing to dance the dandelion in front of his face. "Please? Artemis? For me?" She allowed her voice to be tinted with a little bit of the _mesmer_.

The human's heart beat faster. He finally gave in, rolling his eyes and leaning forward, puffing a little bit on the dandelion. A few seeds rolled away on the breeze.

"There," he muttered, leaning away and searching for his teacup.

Well, it was better than nothing. She was about to throw the plant away when she got an evil idea.

Concealing the smirk, she held the dandelion back up to his face. "It still has seeds on it. C'mon, Artemis, blow them all off."

Sighing with annoyance, the Irish genius leaned forward once more, opening his mouth to blow.

And Holly thrust the weed into his mouth.

Artemis sputtered, coughing as much of the plant out as he could. "Wh-What was that?!"

Holly was beside herself with mirth. "Your..." she choked, grinning and laughing. "Your face!"

The boy had taken just about enough of the fairy as he could handle. With a roar, he leapt at her, taking her completely by surprise.

The two rolled around on the ground, wrestling. Holly had the upper hand. The boy had been training, but she had been an officer for nigh on fifty years.

Finally, it was over. Holly had both of Artemis' wrists in one tiny fist, pinning them above his head, and straddling his stomach.

"Give up!" she commanded, panting. She found it hard to believe that he had given her a run for her money.

He was smirking, breathing hard. She felt his chest rise and fall with each gasp for air. "Truce."

She grinned, suddenly looking around as though there were hoards of people watching. She raised her free fist triumphantly. "Here me, People of Fowl Manor! I, Holly Short, have triumphed over your leader! Glory and honor unto me!"

Artemis snorted. "Can you release me now?"

Holly snickered, letting go of his wrists and sliding down his abdomen as he sat up. "I win."

"Yes," he smirked, rising as she slid off his lap. "I think we have established that."

The tiny creature leaned against his torso for a minute, her hands clasped comfortably over her lap as she slumped against him. Her pointed ears flicked a little when they were tickled by a stray hair or the breeze. Her small chin and enormous eyes were tilted skyward, being caressed by the sun.

At peace, Artemis smiled down at her, closed his eyes as well and mimicked her position.

They rested there for…how long? They didn't know. Best friends could be together forever and it would only seem like a day to them.

Artemis was recalling her eyes when she had begged him to blow on the dandelion. They had swirled so deep and bottomless he had nearly lost control of himself. How long had he had a crush on the girl?...That question might best be left unanswered, though, truth be told, probably from the moment she had punched him on the cheek.

Bottled up emotions have a tendency of exploding when you don't want them to, he thought, frowning. And this one is chained so tightly I can hardly breathe without stirring it.

Thinking of the wish he had conceded to make, he felt his cheeks turn red. Maybe he should take it back. Would you do that with another dandelion?...what was he thinking? He was being foolish. Plants couldn't grant wishes. He knew that for certain. What was he worried about? His wish wouldn't come true. Why did that make him feel rather disappointed?

"Artemis?"

Holly probably wanted to go back to the house. He wanted her to stay with him, stay with him always…forever, until the end of the world, the end of the universe, the end of time…

Relax. Chi. Find your chi, there, Fowl. Do not lose control.

He opened his eyes. "Yes, Hol…Holl…Holly…?"

She was there. Right in front of him. All around him.

Her face was so close he could count her eyelashes. Her face was so close he could feel the heat radiating off of it.

He swallowed, lungs shutting down.

Holly wasn't really sure what she was doing. She had looked at him, and he had been so relaxed, so calm…and then he had frowned. And she wanted nothing more than to make that frown disappear. And for some reason, something inside of her told her that this was the way to do it.

"Promise not to be angry with me?" she murmured in a voice barely above a whisper.

Artemis' eyes were the size of dinner plates. He could only nod.

She was so beautiful. He tried to gulp, but found that he couldn't fit the swallow past his heart, which seemed to be swelling into his entire chest.

The elf listened to the noise of the boy's Irish heart pound faster and faster. Was he frightened? She listened harder as she leaned closer. It didn't sound like it. A fearful heart sounded much harder, more like a ka-thunk, ka-thunk, ka-thunk. Artemis' heart had a very soft beat, very loud and quick, but very soft. His was pounding out a lub-dub, lub-dub, lub-dub.

She slid onto his chest then, forcing him backwards to lay down on the grass. Taller since she had taken the humanization pill at five nine, and Artemis was still young at sixteen, only about five ten, they fit together like a glove.

"Holly…" he breathed. Electricity coursed through his veins like lightning.

Everything inside the elf was on fire. She pressed down upon him, leaning closer and closer. "Shh…"

He was hyperventilating. At any moment now he was sure he would pass out from heart failure.

The fingers of her right hand trailed a path down his thin chest. His jacket was always worn open, his tie was a little askew, and his white shirt was blinding in the sun. Holly's hand came to rest above his breast pocket, right above the throbbing muscle that threatened to rip itself from the boy's chest at any moment.

"I'm begging you," she murmured, her voice light as a stream. "Not to hate me for what I'm about to do."

She had leaned down so close now that her lips brushed against his with every word. He was breathing in quick short gasps. This contained feeling was beginning to break its chains with alarming strength. Holly wasn't breathing at all.

Then, letting go of all inhibitions, the elf lowered her head and kissed the human's lips.

She did it so softly at first, he wasn't sure it had even happened. She grazed the skin of his lips, as though tasting them. She hovered her mouth over his for an instant, and then she kissed him again. Still gently, but more than the previous time.

And Artemis could have died on the spot.

She had only kissed him once before. In the gorilla cage. When he was close to death. He had been too stunned to react before it had been over. And when he had thought back to it, he had kicked himself every time.

Never had he been kissed before like Holly kissed him.

Had there been kisses before Holly?

Kisses had been made for Holly.

Everything inside the Irish boy was exploding. His stomach was twisting and knotting, his lungs felt like they were as big as tires, and his heart…

Holly tried to ignore the sound of the jackhammer occupying the boy's chest, but it was proving increasingly difficult. With every millisecond of the kiss, it grew louder and faster.

Artemis' brain tried to stop him at first, but it was no match for the feel of Holly's lips on his. Eventually, it gave up and just took a backseat as the human's body began to take over.

Pushing himself up onto his palms, Artemis grew more bold. The fairy's gentle kiss blossomed into something…more. Her fingers flew over his high cheekbones like butterflies, but her lips did nothing more than remain positioned on his.

Time to escalate, the human's body decided.

Softly, gently, Artemis rolled Holly onto her back, stroking the sides of her face, dark skin against pale hands. The elf's lips trembled in response and parted, breathing pine onto the youth's tongue.

Artemis gave the slightest of moans in response, to which Holly chuckled. She knew she was going to have to break it off soon. With the way things were going, this could get out of hand real fast. And Artemis' heart was…humming. There were no more distinct beats. Only a constant whirring like a bee's wings.

Suddenly, the boy's mind returned to his head.

"My God," he whispered, shooting straight up, parting their lips with a small smack.

Holly was confused, disappointed, and put out. "What?"

Artemis stared straight ahead. "My wish…"

Then the moment was gone. Artemis' brain caught up with his body and immediately began to chastise it. He jumped up off the elf's body like she had burned him, blushing like mad.

Holly sat up as well, staring at the boy with a puzzled expression…what about a wish?

And then, before things could get any more awkward between them, Artemis wheeled on his heel and dashed away as fast as his loafers could carry him. The tingles on his lips refused to die away.

Holly was left on the grass beside the blanket, still questioning the boy's statement. She felt something in her mouth then, something hard and prickly. She spat it out, frowning. What the—

A dandelion seed.

And then the elf smiled, looking at the spot where the genius had disappeared from her view.

His wish…

And hers, too.

She grinned at the small seed in her palm before lifting it to the air and letting a breeze whisk it away.

FIN.

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_A/N: Well, now that I reread it, it's actually not that bad. You, however, might think different. Review, and tell me all about it! _


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